T^2

Has anyone been successful in using wifi calling with all included "browsing" wifi service?  Anyone able to use wifi calling using streaming wifi service on board?

On Dec cruise, we had three different model cell phones and none worked with included wifi.

All our phones worked at home with wifi calling.

Trying to figure out "best" solution for contact as we cross the pond, if needed.

Tanks!

I'll try my hand at a story, I find amusing, because it doesn't involve me, but my young bride and a very nice young UK couple.  This partly ties into not being able to understand English (American vs British).

A couple years ago on our Med cruise, my wife and I were seated at a 2 top in Blu and the tables were very close together.  It appeared the young couple had been doing some quality control at one of the bars before dinner.  The four of us strike up a conversation as we start dinner.  The other couple ordered some wine, after asking what we were drinking.   The young lady tasted the wine and said "this doesn't taste like what I wanted," and hands her wine glass to my wife to taste and see if it tastes the same as what we were having.  Before I knew it, my wife and the other couple had all managed to swap wine glasses and sipped to see whose wine was the best, while I hugged my glass like my life depending on it.  We enjoyed meeting up with the couple on several different nights to discuss our adventures for the day.

Finally, tying this story back to different languages with the same name.  The young lady regularly dropped the f-bomb during dinner.  Normally, I wouldn't find it amusing; however, with her accent and my translation of what I thought I was hearing, I always heard her say "FORK!"  After she dropped her first "fork," I affectionately referred to her as "spoon girl."

Sorry, a bit of topic about when online check-in opens.  Our group did online check-in for Dec cruise and everything was uploaded as required a couple of weeks before sailing.  Everything was rescinded by terminal personnel, including photos.

We'll see if the same happens next month.

On our last cruise in December, we asked one of the servers at the bar if the crew member selling the upgrade package gets "credit" for the sale.  He said: yes!  He very much appreciated the sale and treated us well for the rest of the cruise.  NOT saying we weren't treated well at other bars by other crew members.  I had seen a similar post to this before.  The other post clarified they "folks" pushing the drinks when you board are bartenders and servers, too.  We plan to find two bars (one will be martini bar) when we board in April and order one upgrade from each bar directly from the staff.  We would rather a crew member get credit than take the pre-cruise 5 or 10% discount .

The intent of my question was can we spread credit for the upgrades across different bars/bartenders?

We normally upgrade the drink package before boarding; however, this time was trying to give credit to the folks on the ship.  Besides, the savings of $36 to pre-order vs the total cost of 5 travelers is not even rounding error.

We will divide and conquer with the upgrades, just to start the cruise by visiting as many bars as possible. 

Happy sailings, all!

I don't remember seeing an answer to this specific question/situation:

There are five in our travel group in two cabins.  All of us are going to do the premium drink upgrade.  I have seen the post that the folks "pushing" the drink upgrade package are the bar staff.  I have also seen the "suggestion" to purchase the upgrade at the bar people will most frequent.  We have one newbie that hasn't been on Celebrity yet, so doesn't have a favorite bar (yet), but suspect I know which one she will pick.  The remaining four of us, regularly frequent three different bars, but do end up at the same one (eventually).  In theory, we would want to upgrade at four different bars once we board.  I know if one person in a cabin upgrades, all have to upgrade, which isn't a problem.

So, can we split up and hit four bars to do the upgrades or does once the first person upgrades, the other person/people in the cabin are upgraded too?

Thanks!

Tim

Cruisernewbie44 - I think I answered the specific question you asked but it might help with a bit more detail.  I posted earlier that one martini, a cappuccino, and a vitamin water pretty much pays for the $10/day charge.  Others have posted the wine is (to some degree) better with the premium package.  My family and I consider the premium drink package upgrade cost as "part of the cruise price" even though it technically is not.

The upgrade has been $10/day/person + 20% gratuity OR $12/day/person USD.  Not that I expect it to change soon, this reply is valid until I hit submit.  Celebrity likes to change things sometimes regularly.

4 hours ago, canderson said:

Just noticed something odd.

In comparing the Classic vs. Premium lists, I see no Irish Whiskey on either side of the chart.  Doesn't seem possible, as they always used to have at least some Jameson aboard.  Can anyone cruising recently provide any additional detail?  I take it that the comparison list isn't all inclusive (to use the expression in the more traditional sense!)

Long way to my point, but when my brother forced me to take a shot of Jameson as soon as our wives and we boarded a cruise a couple of years ago, it has now been a 2 cruise tradition and I plan to make it a third cruise in Dec.  I saw the same (hopefully) oversight on the beverage package sheet.  Luckily my loving bride was able to calm my fears and found Jameson listed at one of the bars through the Celebrity app at a price indicating it was part of the classic beverage package.

Here's to hoping...

As I posted on one of these boards, I am not trusting the Celebrity app data until I board in Dec but maybe not even then.  It seems to change every time I check it.  Maybe Celebrity is telling me not to be so anxious about the cruise...

Anyway, on the app, for the MDR menu on the wine option, the following Elevated wines are being offered.  It appears to me that (maybe) with the Elevated package, a $16 glass of white wine or $28 glass of red wine would be "included" without additional cost.

Anyone have any experience with the Elevated package and a possible different drink package?

Concur on the two $15 martinis.  My selection of drinks was more to address the comment "a lot of premium drinks to warrant the upgrade."  I thought about just using non-alcoholic drinks, but figured might was well throw in one martini.

Classic drink package covers drinks up to $9 each, excluding expressos/teas, vitamin water, etc.

Upgrade charge from Classis to Premium = $12 / day with gratuity

Appears least expensive martini per Celebrity app is $13
Out of pocket per martini with classic drink package = $4.80 with gratuity

Expresso or specialty tea $4.80 to $6 with gratuity

Vitamin water = $5.40 with gratuity

One martini, expresso, and vitamin water (classic drink package) = $15 /day vs $12 for upgrade

I offer the following analysis for the group to critique:

I added the 20% gratiuty to the drink package upgrade to "get more" value out of the deal, since it is a cost savings.

Obviously, I did not include just the upgrade from Classic (All Included) to Premium as a separate line item at either $10 or $12 / day.

Tim

I think I have part of this figured out, but the other part has me completely stumped at this point.

What I think I understand (referencing only drink packages), I can go with the "Always Included" for "no additional" cost.  Upgrade classic drink package to premium for ~$12/day/person OR upgrade to Elevate for $30/day/person.  Understanding there are additional perks with the Elevatee package.

This is the part I haven't gotten figured out:

Looking at the Celebrity app for a Dec cruise, the data I have seen hasn't been consistent on different days.  So, assuming some of the data is not necessarily correct 5 months out.  But, with that caveat, looking at the MDR wine menu, is has a grouping of wine by classic package, by premium package, and Elevate package.  The elevate package has a couple of wines for $16/glass.

Has anyone cruised lately that can confirm there are now at least three different drink packages?  Is there an "Elevate" drink package that gets more expensive drinks than the Premium drink package.  I posted on the Dec roll call that several of the martinis (again on the app) are showing a price of $16.  I know it is only $1.20/drink extra with the premium package but ...

Tim

We did a cab transfer this summer and absolutely no issues.  Fixed rate from Piraeus to airport.  I don't remember what the rate was but fairly certain it is posted online.

We've always purchase it for our cruises.  On our last cruise in July, I actually did it a little differently.  I used the travel insurance from my credit card to cover up to the card's limit and then purchased insurance from a source other than the cruise line (don't know that it was better or worse, but like to spread the money around!), and then a small portion was left uninsured/self-insured.  Now that I am on the "older" side of life, the full insurance is getting more expensive.  Need to "save" for the cruises rather than the insurance!  BTW, so far haven't had to use it.  I hope to keep that record intact.

A couple of years ago, when looking for flights on the Celebrity site, I was using the "just looking" option vs booking.  When I finally got around to actually booking something, prices didn't match.  Imagine that!  Just repeating what I was told: the just browsing option accesses a static view of prices and the booking option accesses "live" prices for flights.  I can't independently confirm this, only relaying what I was told.

We enjoyed a two night stay at The Athenian Callirhoe Exclusive Hotel pre-cruise.  

We were able to enjoy the water deck on our first SB cruise last month to the Greek islands.  It guess it makes sense after thinking about it, but the rules are no one allowed in the water off the deck.  Not intentionally, but we did fall over backward off the doughnut while being slowly pulled back to the ship.  We didn't get yelled at, however, ...

This post is NOT directed at any posters on this thread/site, only asking an obnoxious question.  I ALREADY REGRET this post, but here goes anyway...

What is the difference between a tip being accessed on a passenger at the end of a big box cruise line and a tip already being factored into the cruise total cost for a premium line?  On big box cruise line, I (made up numbers) pay $300/day for the cruise, $15/day for gratuities, $$85/day drink package, and $30/day for wifi ($430/day "all in").  On a premium cruise line, I pay $500/day, but don't know how this payment is broken out for the same services, not same level of service.  In either case, I have the option to pay additional funds to ship personnel.

Back to my sample of one with my first SB cruise, I did book one night online for the TK and had the opportunity to book at least one additional night but never got to it.  Before the cruise, all nights were booked.  Again, sample of one, but in my case it would appear more than one person booked more than one night before the cruise departed.  I am relaying what other people said on the cruise: even if a party of two were seated at a four top and volunteered to have another couple join them, the staff said that wasn't an option.

After our cruise last month, we just got one of the taxis waiting outside the terminal.  No issues getting to the airport.

I don't think this is hijacking the OP's original thread.  I didn't have a request, but feel this is SB going beyond what is expected without asking for something.  My wife and I took our first SB cruise last month and were VERY PLEASANTLY surprised, early on the cruise, when we headed to a couple of deck chairs to lay in the sun and one of the waiters delivered two ice waters, before we were even seated, and then asked what else he could get for us.  Something small, but something big!

Last month, I was on the Odyssey for my first SB cruise, so a sample of one.  For my cruise, no reservations for MDR, Colannade (most nights), and (can't remember name) the evening dining area on the pool deck.  All three were first come, first served.  The pool deck dining was the only location that I saw any issue with the limited seating.  The Colannade had two nights on 14 night cruise (that I remember) that had reservations required.  Once was for Thomas Keller fried chicken dinner and one other night (I think) was a steak special menu.

I completed my first SB cruise last month and was able to get/use the first time SB cruiser coupon after having made final payment.